An American gunsmith has become the first person to construct and shoot a pistol partly made out of plastic, 3D-printed parts. The creator, user HaveBlue from the AR-15 forum, has reportedly fired 200 rounds with his part-plastic pistol without any sign of wear and tear.

HaveBlue’s custom creation is a .22-caliber pistol, formed from a 3D-printed AR-15 (M16) lower receiver, and a normal, commercial upper. In other words, the main body of the gun is plastic, while the chamber — where the bullets are actually struck — is solid metal.

This project is making the rounds and I wanted to have this up as time-stamped milestone for 3D printing, there’s a lot to discuss – so consider this an open mic. Keep the politics out and stick to the topic, implications of 3D printing used to print weapons of any/all kinds.